New Zealand is one of the most spectacular countries in the world with majestic mountains and beautiful scenery. On a tour here you can explore cities like Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown and enjoy the thrill of your life by skiing, snowboarding, bungee jumping or skydiving. This is the adventure capital of the world.
Best New Zealand Tour Companies
Searching the internet, talking to a travel agent and looking in magazines, you will soon realize there are lots of travel companies offering trips to New Zealand. How can you find the one that is right for you? How can you find the tour or itinerary that is right for you?
Well, the only answer to this is, do the research. Fortunately for you, you have stumbled upon a huge resource of information on travel to New Zealand.
To help save you having to sort through the myriad of choices to find the perfect trip, check out tours with these companies who help thousands of international travellers book small group, overland and adventure trips to New Zealand every year:
New Zealand Travel Guide
New Zealand is a long country, with its northern tip stretching into the subtropics and the south pointing the way to Antarctica. Average temperatures range from 20-30 degrees centigrade, depending on where you are.
Famed for its high quality lamb, New Zealand has around 9 sheep to every 1 person. The country is fiercely protective of its organic integrity, severely quarantining any live organism that comes into the country, or banning their introduction outright.
New Zealand has about the same land mass as the UK, but with far less people – just 4 million inhabitants in fact. This makes it wonderfully crowd-free, wherever you go, which is a real treat for travellers from bustling countries in Asia and Europe.
New Zealand Adventure Tours
New Zealand, and Queenstown more specifically, is commonly referred to as “the Adventure Capital of the World”. This reputation is well deserved.
New Zealand will amaze you with the diversity of experiences available, all set in the most magnificent locations – towering mountains, crystal clear lakes, lush rainforests, evolving glaciers, active volcanoes, golden sand beaches, unique wildlife, friendly Kiwi’s (New Zealanders)… New Zealand has it all.v
Overland tours here are a pleasure and the most likely thing to distract you is the incredible views of the truly unique landscape.
History
New Zealand was first settled by Polynesians in around 1250AD.
The first settlers made what must have been a very tough journey from East Polynesia in canoes, and finally reached the last undiscovered corners of the earth, which they enjoyed alone – as Maoris – until 1642 when Dutch sailor Abel Tasman ‘discovered’ the islands on behalf of Europe, and named them after the Dutch province of Zeeland.
He soon high-tailed it out of there after Maoris killed a number of his crew. It was another 130 odd years before Captain James Cook claimed the lands for the British crown. Ironically, linguistic evidence suggests that the original Maori settlers came from the islands that would later be discovered by and named after Captain Cook.
Famous People
New Zealand boasts a number of famous sons and historical figures, considering its small population. Ernest Rutherford became known as the ‘father of nuclear physics’ for his orbital atomic theory, for which he won a Nobel Prize.
The first man to reach the summit of Everest, Edmund Hillary, was born in Auckland. He received a knighthood (and his face appears on the $5 bill). More recently, Jonah Lomu and other kiwi rugby internationals have set the world stage alight with their first-rate sportsmanship, while Jermaine and Bret of Flight of the Conchords have conquered America and the world with their very Wellington brand of musical comedy.
North or South Island?
There are several routes tours take. You can do the North Island on its own or the South Island on its own or combine the two.
If you are only doing one island, a lot of people choose the south. That isn’t to say the North doesn’t have a lot to offer. The North Island has the thermal parks: large areas of volcanic activity which manifest as pools of bubbling mud and lakes which are green, yellow or blue with striking red-orange colours beneath the surface and steam rising above them.
There are geysers – mounds of earth from which large jets of water shoot out sporadically. Much of it feels like the Land Before Time or Jurassic Park. There is also a rather pervasive odour all over the areas main town, Rotorua. This is due to the sulphur beneath the ground’s surface that creates an egg-like smell.
The North Island also has Lake Taupo, which is important to the Maori people as well as being New Zealand’s largest lake. Lake Taupo, was the volcano responsible for the largest known eruption in human history, with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8. It issued 530 cubic kilometres of magma onto the surrounding area. There are all kinds of adventure sports activities you can take part in here.
But the South Island is where most of the adventure sports fans find their fun. Group tours here are highly recommended because you pass through spectacular scenery and also get to visit New Zealand’s adventure and party capital, Queenstown.
Queenstown, as well as being part of the set of Lord of the Rings (along with a lot of other places in New Zealand) is famous for its sky diving, bungee jumping, rock climbing and rapid riding fun. And for the less daring, has some fun dry slope tobogganing opportunities too. At night the bars fill with locals and travellers and it’s a great opportunity to add to the friends you’ve already made on the bus.
The South Island is also famous for its impressive Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers, which even the novice can climb. It is also the gateway to the beautiful Milford Sound.
Custom Trips
Adventure is where you find it and each person is different. One thing is for certain – the excitement of the unexpected is vital to the well being of the human spirit. Tour guides are expert facilitators of personal adventure.
Whether you’re into rediscovering the history of an area; meeting a local character at the town pub; experiencing the peace of pure wilderness; or learning about the strange habits of endemic birds – tour companies will provide you with the opportunities to discover parts of New Zealand that appeal most to you.
For the more action oriented they will help you sort through the seemingly endless possibilities: hiking, mountain biking, rafting, kayaking, river surfing, rock climbing, caving, rappelling, canyoning, tandem paragliding, hang gliding, sky diving, bungy jumping, jet boating, horseback riding, skiing, snowboarding and more. If it has been dreamed…then it’s probably being done here.
FAQ
How to get to New Zealand
From the West Coast of the U.S. it’s a 12 hr flight and from the U. K. it’s about 16 hrs. You couldn’t get much further from the rest of the world. That is why New Zealand is the perfect holiday destination. If you really want to get away from it all, what better way than to travel to the land down under! You might also want to put New Zealand on a round the world itinerary.
Is it safe to travel to New Zealand?
The current state of unrest around the world is a big concern when considering an overseas trip. Not to mention health problems. Is it safe to travel overseas? Where is beyond the reach of the terror campaigns being mounted around the globe? The last thing you want is for your vacation to turn into a nightmare.
Whilst we can make no guarantees for your safety, take a close look at New Zealand and tell me if you think it is a safe place to visit. Remotely located in the South Pacific Ocean, our tiny islands have a population of about 4 million people and a land mass equivalent to that of Colorado. New Zealand is a tiny country, and very far out of the way. These factors contribute largely to New Zealand regularly being voted the world’s safest travel destination.
How do you make the most of a two week vacation?
How can you be sure you are going to have the best trip ever? You only have a couple weeks and want it to be spectacular. Don’t leave anything to chance, your trip should leave you relaxed, satisfied and revived. Don’t go home more stressed than when you left.
What are you looking for on your next travel adventure? Magnificent scenery? Remoteness? Friendly people? Adventure activities? Culture? Wildlife? Diversity? Wilderness experiences? All of the above? How do you ensure you get all you are looking for in such a way that it is an excellent overall experience? First you need to choose the right destination.
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